1. Technical Field
This document relates to methods and materials involved in assessing brain conditions. For example, this document relates to methods and materials involved in determining whether or not a brain aneurysm will rupture.
2. Background Information
About 10 to 15 million Americans are thought to suffer from a brain aneurysm with about 30,000 of these experiencing a brain aneurysm rupture (subarachnoid hemorrhage; SAH) annually. Unfortunately, about half of the SAH cases result in death or marked disability from the original hemorrhage or a major complication such as rebleeding or vasospasm. When confronting a patient with a brain aneurysm, a clinician recommends either treatment or continued monitoring. Treatment typically involves surgical clipping, endovascular coiling, or a variation thereof.